# New Editor Details.

John Leone (john@rdz.stjohns.edu)
Thu, 17 Oct 1996 15:32:45 PDT

- Messages sorted by:[ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]

    Hi,

    I'm overwhelmed with the response for the new editor, so I'll give you
    details and will make a web page for it.  Although, once you hear the
    details, maybe there won't be as much interest.

    First of all my beef with @notedit.  Every six weeks it would crash, and
    overwrite files all over the MOO.  I posted that to this list twice and
    got no response.  A few people visiting my MOO have told me of similar
    woes, but I never recall hearing anything about it on the list.  In any
    event, here's my solution.

    First of all it's short form syntax is almost the same as notedit.  So
    people that know notedit will be fairly comfortable.  However, if you
    don't know the syntax of a command, just type the command and you will be
    prompted for input.  No matter how you enter the command, you will be
    given a playback of what the command is about to do, and a choice to
    continue or abort.

    The implementation of this is done with a separate room for each editing
    session.  The main editor is never entered, but has an invoke verb that
    finds a child that is empty and sends you to that.  This way there is no
    chance of overwriting sombody elses work, your room you enter is your own
    personal editor and shares no data with the other sessions.

    To install it you have to be a wiz, if the interest continues to be
    strong maybe I'll release some sort of autoinstaller.  I just started on
    the verb editor, it's a child of the note editor.  I want to write a
    precompile reformatting verb, so when you compile it gives you perfect
    indentation.  And a command that automatically sets comments, so people
    are more apt to comment their code.  i need the comment and format
    features for myself, on moo my format sucks and my comments are nil,
    before I release this it will be commented and formatted.

    I don't know too much about web, I know sometimes I can cut and paste
    from web and sometimes I can't, I guess I'll make a page that you can cut
    and paste from somehow.  Could write some sort of installation script,
    that utilizes set_verb_code and just builds the whole thing.

    I have mine set to twenty editing rooms, for our MOO that's more than
    enough, this number would need to be adjusted depending on your MOO
    size.  My initial intention was to keep @notedit up and give our users
    the choice so I could see which was better, maybe put a usage ticker on
    each one to see how people like what.  But my noteditor crashed badly and
    my usual fix of resetting strmode and objects wouldn't repair it, so I
    was forced to make magedit the default text editor of the system.  With
    the verb editor and the mail room, people will have a choice of what
    editor they want, and I'll get some small guage of which is more user
    friendly.

    I like coding more user friendly when possible.  But my real reason for
    taking this on, is I was sick of overwriting peoples files.  Guess we're
    the only MOO with the overwriting problem, but I've been on two different
    cores with the same problem.

    In any event, now that you know what I've created, it probably isn't as
    intrigueing as it was without facts.  There is definitely enought
    interest for a web page.  If interest stays high I'll see what I can do
    about an installation script for everyone.

    The reason for the script is that installation is a hack and half, there
    are two properties added to #0, you need calling verbs on #6, you need
    the verbs on the editor, you need to make the children and add them to
    the property on #0, maybe people wouldn't like properties added to #0,
    you could put it somewhere else if you want, maybe $local or someplace,
    There is also a property added to #6 for saved files when someone loses
    their connection or exits improperly.

    You might want to have a couple of verbs on #56 too, to add editing rooms
    in case you run into capacity problems.

    I guess I got to make the all the messages to MOO mail me if somethign
    goes wrong, set to a property," moo mail" this.bug_reporter "blah"  or
    something.

    It would be a hack of an installation, I'd be hesitant to run an
    installation script that extensive.  Actually, I'm sure most would, got
    to think of a way to make it simpler.  But an editor is a big hack, it
    gets into a lot of things, don't see how to avoid that off the top of my
    head.

          John Leone
          john@GrassRootsMoo  rdz.stjohns.edu 8888
          john@rdz.stjohns.edu